


Sparks and Prints

by commonbay



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:49:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27239824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commonbay/pseuds/commonbay
Summary: Wraith and Wattson spend some time together at the fair and find an old photo booth.
Relationships: Wattson | Natalie Paquette/Wraith | Renee Blasey
Comments: 4
Kudos: 89





	Sparks and Prints

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this about two months ago but only got inspired to post it after seeing [Wattson's desk](https://twitter.com/PlayApex/status/1321155976515309568) by the incredible [Jel](https://twitter.com/_jelart) and the little photos of Wraith and Wattson.

Days off from the games weren't too rare, but days spent lounging about were. Renee usually spent her free time chasing after what little traces of her past still remained scattered. Tonight, however, she'd promised to accompany most of her fellow legends to Solace City's Tri-Moon Festival, a celebration that only took place every few years but happened over the course of several days. There was dancing on the streets, and several bars including the Paradise Lounge offered all sorts of promotions for the celebration. But for now, Renee and the others all agreed to head to the fairgrounds. Compared to everything else that happened during festival days, visiting the fair was a relatively relaxing activity. Booths set up to offer foods from all over the Outlands while others arranged games with prizes. Many involved activities that tested aim, strength, and speed while others were purely relied on luck. There were also rides and attractions that filled the area with the sounds of their whirring and the gleeful—and sometimes nervous—screams of riders.

They all met up at the transport station closest to the fair, and Elliott spent the whole walk talking about something or other as the rest listened. Even Caustic and Bloodhound came out for the festivities, though they would probably head off somewhere else soon. Renee just didn't expect them all to go in various directions so early in the evening. Bangalore, Rampart, and Gibraltar wanted to try playing some games and made bets over who would win the most. They even extended an invitation to Loba, who seemed surprised to be asked, and the four of them disappeared into the crowd. Octane dragged Lifeline towards the rides as soon as they had passed the entrance, the medic unable to even say a word of protest with the speed that she was pulled away. Elliott and Crypto had started arguing about some kind of food from Psamathe and they both left to prove who was right, taking Pathfinder with them to judge. How a robot could judge food, Renee had no clue, but she wasn't about to get herself mixed up in that mess.

Not even an hour into their excursion and Renee was left alone—or so she thought until the voices from the void whispered into her mind.

_Talk to her._

That was when Renee became aware of the person beside her. She didn't have to look to know it was Natalie. Being around the young woman made the voices quieter, more subdued. To them, and to Renee, Natalie meant safety.

"Your'e not going with anyone, Nat?" Renee asked when she finally turned to look at the other remaining legend. Even in the warming late spring evening, Natalie wore a jacket and kept the hood pulled up over her head. Renee had chosen to forgo her usual scarf and opted for a light long sleeved shirt, cool enough for Solace's humidity but still capable of warding off a chilly breeze.

"Non," Natalie answered, her usual bright demeanor absent. "I didn't think it would be this loud."

Renee was used to constant noise: living close to the bustling center of Solace City, taking part in unpredictable matches for the games, and having the constant voices reaching through the void. The loud, vibrant atmosphere of the fair was different—it was alive and happy and _fun_. But she realized how this must affect Natalie. She knew her friend preferred the quiet and used her abilities in ways that brought silence to the most chaotic fights in the arena. A weight settled within Renee's chest, tugging at her heart to bring comfort to her companion.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Renee offered.

Natalie shook her head, surprise blushing red across her cheeks. "That's not necessary," she said. "I don't want to ruin your evening."

Renee shrugged. "It's fine. Everyone left to do their own thing anyway, and I don't really want to go around on my own."

Natalie's expression changed. Furrowed brows and pursed lips; Renee recognized her thinking face, the one that appeared when Natalie hypothesized social situations in her mind. Finally, her mood shifted and a smile lit up the young engineer's face. "We can walk around together!"

Renee raised a brow, but the idea made her body thrum with unexpected anticipation. "What about the noise?"

"I can handle it," Natalie answered, "as long as we avoid the rides and crowds."

With Natalie's assurance, Renee nodded and tilted her head towards the far side of the fair where the crowds seemed thinner and there was more space to roam. "Whenever you're ready then."

Natalie clapped and the smile on her face grew impossibly brighter. Renee ignored the quickening beat of her heart, but nearly tripped over her own feet when Natalie grabbed her hand and pulled her down the path. "Allons-y, Wraith!"

⚡⚡⚡

They spent a great part of the evening walking around and talking. At some point they even managed to grab a few things to eat from the food stalls when the early evening dinner rush calmed. They ran into their fellow legends all over the place: Gibraltar and Rampart carrying the prizes they won from the booths with Bangalore and Loba trailing behind as they chatted, Lifeline and Octane taking a break from the rides to try some desserts and sharing their recommendations, and finally Pathfinder hauling both Elliott and Crypto over his mechanical shoulders as they both had gotten sick from seeing who can go on the Spin Pod the most.

"Elliott I can understand, but I never would've expected Crypto to agree to that," Renee said as they strolled towards the "old school arcade" tent. It was a setup that usually appealed to children and younger teens, a way to show them pastimes from the core systems and to satisfy their curiosity of older tech.

"He gets very competitive around Monsieur Witt," Natalie supplied. Her hood had been pulled down earlier, the noise of the fair not bothering her so much and to allow for a few photos to be taken with fans. Renee never really enjoyed the attention when she was out in public, but Natalie was always so kind and obliging whenever someone stopped them for a chat or an autograph.

As soon as they stepped into the tent, Renee took in the screen-lit space and the soft hum of music and sound effects. Strangely enough, it reminded her of Natalie's workshop with the low buzz of static and constant beeping of various machines. She turned to say as much to Natalie but stopped with the words lodged tightly in her throat. In the shifting lights, Natalie looked radiant. Wonder filled her sparkling blue eyes, and her unrestrained delight reflected in her breathtaking smile. Renee forced herself to look away before Natalie noticed her staring. But Natalie would never notice despite her astute observation skills as a scientist because Renee wouldn't let her. Her feelings for her fellow legend were steadily growing into something unfamiliar, and they both already had enough to deal with, from the games to their own personal challenges. But sometimes, when the voices were silent, Renee did allow herself to think—to dream—of a reality were she was brave enough to bare her feelings in the open and tell Natalie just how wonderful she was and how much she wanted her in whatever capacity Natalie was willing to give. There had been moments when Renee thought of reaching out through the void to see if some other version of herself, one with more courage and luck, ever achieved that dream. She never did because even the idea of it never being a possibility in any dimension hurt too much. So this was all Renee gave herself, these moments spent alone with Natalie and being able to see her smile and be free from the pressures of being an Apex Legend.

"Wraith?"

"Yeah?" Renee fought the blush of embarrassment from appearing on her face.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Sorry." Renee wished then that she'd brought her scarf to hide behind. "I got distracted."

"Distracted by what?" Natalie asked.

You.

_No don't say that._

As if she would.

Renee scanned the room swiftly and pointed at a machine with dark curtains hanging at its sides. "That."

"Well, that answered my question," Natalie said as she tugged on Renee's hand for the second time that night.

"What?"

"I asked if your wanted to try anything."

It was too late to back out now, and Renee braced herself for whatever this machine did. She'd tried playing old games before when Elliott convinced her and Pathfinder to go out one night. She wasn't too fond of playing anything and preferred chucking darts in a bar instead. But for Natalie, she would try.

Each arcade machine had a holo-pad beside it to explain the history of the game and how to play. The one Renee had pointed out, however, turned out not to be a game. It was a photo booth which dispensed actual printed photos after they were taken.

"C'est incroyable," Natalie exclaimed as she read about the machine. "Come on, mon amie, let's give it a shot."

Renee chuckled at Natalie's sense of humor and followed her into the booth, the curtains draping shut to tuck them into the small space. Natalie began working on the screen, operating the booth as Renee tried to settle down on the cramped bench. There'd been times when she got really close to Natalie, their bodies brushing as they hid behind cover during matches or when Renee helped her get home when they celebrated with one too many drinks at the Paradise Lounge after a win. Those were necessities. This was...

Renee forced her expression to remain impassive.

"Ready?" Natalie pressed herself closer against Renee's side, looping their arms together and beaming towards the camera. The flash left Renee blinking away stars for a few seconds before she saw their first photo appear on the screen.

"Not bad," She said. Definitely not bad if the focus was just on Natalie's cheerful face and not the awkward tilt of Renee's lips.

Natalie giggled and shifted in their seat. "Smile for me? S'il te plaît, Renee?"

Renee would do just about anything for that gentle look Natalie showed her, especially when Natalie called her by her name and not "Wraith." So smile she did.

The second picture on the screen looked better, definitely made less awkward by Natalie's simple request. "What pose should we try next?" Renee asked, feeling more at ease with the closeness.

"A silly face," Natalie answered enthusiastically before sticking her tongue out for the camera. At the sight of Natalie's joy and the sound of her laugh, Renee forgot about the camera and focused solely on Natalie. If Renee looked at the screen, she would've seen that the third photo revealed Natalie in the midst of her silliness and laughter as Renee looked at her with soft adoration on her face.

"Renee?" Natalie turned as much as she could towards her that the small space allowed. With a thunderous heartbeat pounding in her ears, Renee grasped the fleeting courage that surged within her at the sound of Natalie's curiosity.

_Take your chance._

The voices, though annoying, often gave pretty good advice.

"Nat," Renee whispered as she leaned just the slightest bit forward.

They didn't bother to pose for the last photo as their first kiss was captured on the screen.

Renee would always think of Natalie's lips pressing against hers every time she heard a camera shutter click.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
